Insufficient balance

  The government office was originally called "Ya Men" because the walls of the main hall were painted with fierce beasts' claws and teeth, hence the name. The Xiao Ye inside the Ru Zhou government office was still brightly lit, and the shining armor on the guards at the gate reflected a cold metallic light, ordinary people didn't dare to get close.

  Lü Duan beckoned with his hand, and Liu Ba, a man with a scar on his face, hastily leaned in to listen. Lü Duan whispered some instructions to him. After hearing this, Liu Ba's expression changed and he said, "So we're going to rush into someone's home and grab them... is that okay?"

  Lv Doudao said: "What's wrong with that, I'm here for you, what are you afraid of? I won't harm you... If you really want to deal with me, do you need to take off your pants and fart?"

  "That's it, that's it." Liu Ba said with a bitter face. To say that he bullied the good people and citizens, he also did less, but somehow he would find some reasons to tease the girls and wives, generally just teasing them, this time was really coming, directly rushing into someone else's home to rob women... Fortunately, there was Shi Zhong supporting him, otherwise Liu Ba wouldn't dare do such a thing.

  Lü Dang narrowed his eyes and said, "You Liu Er are just loudmouthed, boasting and bragging, but when it comes to actually doing something evil, you're getting cold feet?"

  Liu Ba suddenly raised his head and said: "With one word from Lord Lü, what am I afraid of? Don't worry, this matter is left to me."

  "Alright, I'm waiting for your news. Remember, first, be quick; second, don't foolishly send them to the yamen, directly send them out of the city, I'll wait for you outside; third, no need for too many, five or six people, or seven or eight, just make sure they're the best looking, don't get me any ugly ones. If things are done well, I'll naturally understand the credit that belongs to your Liu family, and in the future, you, Liu Ba, will be even more at ease in Ruzhou."

  Liu Ba responded by coming out of the government office, and immediately shouted to a group of hooligans and brought his family's servants onto the street. The group of people discussed and thought about all the beautiful young women they had seen before, and first selected their target to take action.

  At this moment, a young man similar to Liu Ba said: "The Qing Shi Inn has a little girl from outside, I've seen her once, and she's extremely white-skinned. Let's count her in too."

  Liu Ba sat there with an air of superiority, speaking in a condescending tone: "Still here?"

  "It's still there."

  "It's better if they're from out of town. If someone dies, there's no place to cry about it, let their family members report it to the government instead." Liu Ba Yin said with a smile.

  Everything was arranged, and the crowd dispersed to their respective destinations to grab people. Before long, a commotion broke out in the neighborhood, with someone's dog joining in on the excitement, barking loudly "Woof woof woof". Other dogs didn't want to be left behind, and they too started barking one after another.

  Liu Ba and the woman from just now, accompanied by a group of servants, rushed straight to the Qing Shi Inn. After inquiring about the location of the room, they stormed to the door with a fierce expression. The shopkeeper saw such an array and hadn't figured it out yet, so he cried and said: "They are all guests, Liu Erge, what's going on? Give each other some face as fellow villagers."

  "Do you know what kind of person is inside?" Liu Ba waved his fist and glared at him fiercely.

  The shopkeeper shook his head.

  Liu Ba Dao said: "What are you still mumbling about? Want to be implicated? Open the door for me!"

  All of a sudden, there was a loud crash, and a sturdy man directly used his shoulder to knock down the wooden door panel. Liu Ba immediately strode in, and a wisp of dust on the beam above happened to fall onto his head. Liu Ba hastily spat out several mouthfuls, waved his hand in front of his face, and looked forward.

  A white-haired woman was sitting on a bamboo chair, the first thing that caught people's attention was her head full of silver hair... but she wasn't an old lady, not only was she not old, her face was smooth without even a single wrinkle, Liu Bang had flirted with so many women, he really hadn't seen such good skin before.

  Big eyes, small nose and mouth, extremely pure. In front of her was a short guqin, her fingers were placed on the strings, but she didn't play, Liu Ba had been in this inn since he arrived, but hadn't heard a single sound from the guqin.

  The white-haired woman smiled and said: "I'm just a weak woman, you've come with so many people, rushing in like this, what do you want to do?"

  Liu Ba saw the pretty young woman and would normally make some sarcastic remarks, but this time he opened his mouth and couldn't say the usual vulgar words, standing there dazed, like a big silly melon.

  "Ah...... this...... that...... I was passing by here and accidentally fell..."

  The white-haired woman smiled and said, "You fell quite vigorously, I think it looks like you deliberately bumped into the door...". Her expression suddenly turned cold, "Who are you people? Speak quickly, don't waste time."

  Liu Ba blurted out: "Really unintentionally offended, I am a good person..." The people next to him couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  The white-haired woman looked at him for a moment, then suddenly got up from the bamboo bed, walked slowly to the door, and seemed not to be afraid of the tall and strong Liu Ba.

  Everyone didn't know what she was going to do, and they all stood still. She floated lightly past them, walked onto the aisle, and left a faint fragrance at the door. Just as Liu Ba was about to say something, the white-haired woman gently "shushed" him, and everyone looked at each other in dismay, forced to shut their mouths.

  She stood still with the zither in her arms, closed her eyes and stood quietly beside the railing, her body didn't move at all, only a head of white hair gently swayed in the evening wind, her pure and beautiful face was extremely calm.

  After a while, she opened her eyes and smiled: "It seems that it's really not the government coming to arrest me."

  "Why don't we make friends? Ask around in Ruzhou, who doesn't say that I, Liu the Second, am a man of my word?"

  "Alright." The white-haired woman's attitude suddenly became very amiable, making people feel like they were basking in the warm spring breeze. Her transformation was so quick and natural that it left people in awe. She continued to speak in a gentle tone: "Second Brother is someone who values loyalty, he should know that friends must be sincere first, and cannot deceive each other. So tell me the truth, what did you guys originally plan to do?"

  It seems that this woman is very thoughtful and has already sensed that these people are not just suddenly motivated by lust or the desire to commit violence, if they were, they wouldn't be so brazen as to come knocking on the door like this, at least they should have waited for an opportunity.

  She watched Liu Ba's expression with great interest, and smiled: "To tell the truth. Is there something you don't want to say in front of everyone? You can quietly tell me, I won't say it out loud." After that, she coquettishly hooked her slender white jade finger.

  Liu Ba was taken aback, looking at her fingers again and then glancing at her smiling face, thinking to himself: What's the harm in telling her? An outsider wouldn't have any influence anyway. Even if it got out, no one would believe it.

  He cautiously walked forward, his nose smelling that faint scent as if being drawn over. The white-haired woman suddenly said: "Alright, don't come any closer, I'm afraid you'll do something bad... You few, retreat a bit."

  Liu Ba lowered his voice and said, "We want to find a few good families for our friend Lyu Shi Jun, and they must be pretty. I'll take care of this matter. Coincidentally, one of my brothers happened to see the girl the other day, so... I've already taken a liking to her, but don't worry, I'm in charge here, and I won't let anything happen to you."

  "Second Brother has been so good to me, I really don't know how to repay you..." the white-haired woman said in a soft voice.

  How to repay, of course, it's best to offer one's body! Liu Ba thought so, but on the surface, he said generously: "Being able to know you is a blessing for three lifetimes."

  "Second brother is such a good person, but I have a long way to go... However, the people I dislike the most are those who tell lies and can't be trusted."

  "Don't worry, I'm absolutely reliable," said Liu Ba with a pat on his chest. "I haven't even asked for your name, miss, how is it that you're living here all alone?"

  The white-haired woman's expression was filled with sorrow, and she said pitifully: "I am originally from Yangzhou, Wu family. My family had two siblings. Because my family was conscripted to transport taxes to the imperial court in the capital, my brother went out and never returned... whether he is dead or alive is unknown. My father and I can only search along the canal, hoping to find my brother back home..."

  Liu Ba sighed and said: "Yangzhou... why didn't you give the governor money?"

  "How much money should I send?"

  Liu Ba was taken aback and said, "No wonder you want to recruit your family, you don't even understand the rules. Who would be recruited if not you? This matter requires sending some silver for filial piety from time to time, and naturally, you won't have to do any hard labor."

  The white-haired woman said sorrowfully: "Didn't we know before? If we knew, we wouldn't have been reluctant to part with that little money. No amount of money can replace my brother... Just now, Second Brother said that Lü Shishi wants to find a beautiful girl, what for?"

  Liu Ba laughed and said: "Does this still need to be said?"

  "Why don't you send me in too? Maybe Master Qi will be happy with the company and help us find Brother?"

  Liu Ba said immediately: "No way! How can I push you into the fire pit? I'll help you with this."

  "How can you help me?" The white-haired woman's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery.

  Liu Ba hesitated and said: "The governor will help you as I help you, you've got what you wanted from me!"

  The white-haired woman sneered, "So that's what you're thinking. I originally thought quite highly of my own brother, and seeing how enthusiastic you were, I almost took you as a brother too. Who would have thought that in the end, you'd still be a lecherous scoundrel."

  Liu Ba's face turned red as he looked at the white-haired woman's tender and pale skin on her neck, his face flushing with excitement, saying: "You can't toast without drinking, you have to drink a penalty!"

  The white-haired woman said: "Why don't you try it?"

  Liu Ba was stunned, his mind a jumble of confusion. He didn't know how he had ended up this way, but today he just couldn't seem to do anything bad. His hand hovered in mid-air, frozen in place. The white-haired woman said, "You're not all that bad."

  Just then, a sturdy man rushed up the stairs and scolded Liu Ba as soon as he saw him: "Everyone else has finished, only you, Liu Er, are still dawdling here, hurry up."

  The white-haired woman took the opportunity to say: "He saw that I was beautiful and wanted to detain me privately, even if I were to follow the governor, I would not follow this ugly and coarse man!"

  Liu Ba was furious and pointed at her, saying: "What did you say?"

  "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? You want to abduct the commoner girl, that's fine, but you also want to hit me? Come on!" The white-haired woman sneered at Liu Ba.

  The sturdy man seemed to be from the government office, took a glance at the white-haired woman and said: "Don't mind him, follow me." The white-haired woman then hugged her guqin and left without looking back.

  Liu Ba stood there, looking very hurt, and couldn't speak for a long time. The thugs next to him laughed and said: "Second brother rarely had a good heart this time, alas, but was played by others."

  "Don't mess with me! Your second brother is getting annoyed!"